Friday, September 11, 2009

Short attention span musing...

Haven't done one of these in a long time, and since there are a couple of things in today's news worthy of comment, it's appropriate to do one now.

...Colleen Clark, president of the Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District has revealed that in July, she was arrested for DUI in Scottsdale. (AZCentral.com coverage here; Phoenix New Times coverage here)

Fellow board member Debra Pearson (nee Brimhall) has called for Clark's resignation, citing the arrest as evidence of "immature behavior."

Ummm...given that when Pearson was in the state lege, she was best known for marching in a parade in a Xena costume, maybe she shouldn't be pointing fingers...anyway, I digress.

On this one, given the facts available thus far - no one was injured, apparently this was a "first-and-only" incident, and she didn't try to use her office and influence to get out of the arrest - she should be allowed to face the music but keep her office.

In the event that some readers think that this opinion is one partisan Democrat supporting another, think again.

Ms. Clark is a Republican and a teacher/coach at her church and works for an Illinois-based abstinence project.

In short, she's easily conservative enough to be a member of the "Bay at the Moon" Club on West Washington.

Even so, she gets to be human (unless one of the material facts cited above changes.)

The Governing Board would have been better served if instead of calling for Clark's resignation, Pearson had pushed for the resignation of member Jerry Walker after the incident earlier this year where he used his office and presence on a District-sponsored field trip to intimidate a student to tears over her advocacy for the DREAM Act.

*That* one merited removal from office.

...Does the Fifester realize that he was pardoned because the President owed a favor to someone who owed Fife a favor, not because he was wrongfully convicted?

Apparently not, because he says he is considering a run for Governor in 2010.

The money quote from the AZRepublic article linked above?

"My record is clean," Symington said. "I won at the end of the day."

No Fife, your record is NOT clean. Of course, in today's AZGOP, that doesn't mean anything.

...Hmmmm...wonder if Laura Knaperek is looking for someone, *anyone*, to take on and defeat Harry Mitchell, who has defeated her so many times? And if "anyone" means "anyone not named David Schweikert"??

Note: Schweikert had the audacity to beat Knaperek in last year's GOP primary in CD5.

Let's see -

One "Ray Torres" has a letter to the editor in Friday's AZ Republic criticizing Harry Mitchell and expressing support for Jim Ward, a candidate in next year's GOP primary in CD5.

One "Ramon Torres," nicknamed "Ray" is the chair of the ORANGE Coalition in Scottsdale (allegedly in Scottsdale, anyway*).

A director of that organization is one...Laura Knaperek, former LD17 state representative and failed Congressional candidate.

*Hmmmm...the ORANGE Coalition isn't registered as a political committee (even though it was lobbying the City of Scottsdale via its Charter Review Task Force); it's registered as a non-profit Arizona corporation. Both directors listed on the organizational paperwork, including Mr. Ray Torres, list a New Jersey address (or as they like to refer to it - "really eastern Scottsdale").

BTW - the New Jersey address listed is the same as that of the headquarters of American Water, the parent company of Arizona American Water.

Not exactly a shocking coincidence, that.

It will be fun to watch Mr. Ward's campaign finance reports for money from New Jersey and American Water.

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About Me

My name is Craig. I have lived in AZ for 18 years or so.
Transplant from MA.
Waiting...hoping for more to move here so the Dems can retake the Lege.
Currently reading Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty..
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